Bermuda testing question.

[AK Dreaming]

The NCL site says you have to either have a vaccine or a negative covid test within 2 days.  Bermuda site says PCR test within 4 days.  To me this means that since we have the vax we can test 4 days before for Bermuda.  But to be cautious I chatted with NCL and they said no, you have to test 2 days before.  This is difficult due to travel.  Anyone had any personal experience with this?

[1025cruise]

NCL's requirement is 2 days. 

[Turtles06]

I don't think the NCL rep with whom you spoke was correct.  NCL's own Sail Safe policy (link below) says the following for vaxxed guests 12 years old or older on sailings to Bermuda (which I assume is what you are on) through Sept. 2:

 

"Travel Authorization required. Application fee $40. Proof of completed series of one-dose or two-dose primary vaccination regime at embarkation and provide proof of one of the following at embarkation:
1. COVID-19 NAAT test (PCR, LAMP or TMA) up to 4 days before embarkation
2. Supervised antigen up to 2 days before embarkation"  [emphasis added; these are in fact the rules from Bermuda's own web site, see second link below]

 

For sailings to Bermuda departing on or after Sept. 3, NCL says the Bermuda rules (second link below) govern, and they state the following (for ships arriving in Bermuda in 4 days or fewer):

 

"Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40.

COVID-19 NAAT test (PCR, LAMP or TMA) up to 4 days before embarkation

 OR

Supervised antigen up to 2 days before embarkation" [emphasis added]

 

 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

 

https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

[Turtles06]

36 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

NCL's requirement is 2 days. 

 

I don't see how you can say that with respect to sailings to Bermuda.  Please see the NCL and Bermuda web sites in my comment immediately above; if you think my reading of them is mistaken, please explain.  Thanks. 

[cruiserbear55]

50 minutes ago, AK Dreaming said:

The NCL site says you have to either have a vaccine or a negative covid test within 2 days.  Bermuda site says PCR test within 4 days.  To me this means that since we have the vax we can test 4 days before for Bermuda.  But to be cautious I chatted with NCL and they said no, you have to test 2 days before.  This is difficult due to travel.  Anyone had any personal experience with this?

When are you cruising? Pre  September third, or after? If before, Bermuda dropped the requirement that you had to send them a negative covid test within two days of embarkation. You still had to apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorization, pay $40.00, and submit your vaccination info. You then had to take the covid test within two days of sailing to board the ship, which Bermuda recognized.

    After and including September 3, NCL is no longer requiring covid testing if you can show proof of vaccination. ( For unvaccinated pax, they need a negative covid test.)

   Bermuda authorities have previously stated that the testing requirement would not be dropped until March 2023 at the earliest.That being the case, you'll still need to take a pcr test at least four days or an antigen two days before embark. Whether you'll have to submit the test results to Bermuda, or show it to a rep at the port is anybody's guess. Hope this helps.

[Boxersma]

2 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

When are you cruising? Pre  September third, or after? If before, Bermuda dropped the requirement that you had to send them a negative covid test within two days of embarkation. You still had to apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorization, pay $40.00, and submit your vaccination info. You then had to take the covid test within two days of sailing to board the ship, which Bermuda recognized.

    After and including September 3, NCL is no longer requiring covid testing if you can show proof of vaccination. ( For unvaccinated pax, they need a negative covid test.)

   Bermuda authorities have previously stated that the testing requirement would not be dropped until March 2023 at the earliest.That being the case, you'll still need to take a pcr test at least four days or an antigen two days before embark. Whether you'll have to submit the test results to Bermuda, or show it to a rep at the port is anybody's guess. Hope this helps.

Thank you for the posting this info. I realize this may be a crazy question but will you still have to test and fill out Bermuda’s travel requirement form if you don’t plan to disembark in Bermuda. 

[Turtles06]

Just now, Boxersma said:

Thank you for the posting this info. I realize this may be a crazy question but will you still have to test and fill out Bermuda’s travel requirement form if you don’t plan to disembark in Bermuda. 

Yes. 

[RosieRoo]

12 hours ago, Boxersma said:

Thank you for the posting this info. I realize this may be a crazy question but will you still have to test and fill out Bermuda’s travel requirement form if you don’t plan to disembark in Bermuda. 

Yes and I will add that the TA is only good for 30 days. I have had to get three of them in the last four months 🤦🏻‍♀️

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, RosieRoo said:

Yes and I will add that the TA is only good for 30 days. I have had to get three of them in the last four months 🤦🏻‍♀️

You can only apply for it within 30 days of your cruise embarkation date but it's not good for 30 days, it's only good for the specific cruise you identify in the application. If you are returning to Bermuda on another cruise at a later date within thirty days of your original cruise you still have to apply for a new travel authorization. 

Edited August 14, 2022 by njhorseman

[RosieRoo]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

You can only apply for it within 30 days of your cruise embarkation date but it's not good for 30 days, it's only good for the specific cruise you identify in the application. If you are returning to Bermuda on another cruise at a later date within thirty days of your original cruise you still have to apply for a new travel authorization. 

When I spoke to the people at the toll free number in Bermuda they told me the TA was valid for 30 days 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Regardless, all of my cruises were more than 30 days apart so it wouldn’t have worked for me anyhow. 

[njhorseman]

9 minutes ago, RosieRoo said:

When I spoke to the people at the toll free number in Bermuda they told me the TA was valid for 30 days 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Regardless, all of my cruises were more than 30 days apart so it wouldn’t have worked for me anyhow. 

I think it was a miscommunication or misunderstood question. 

[cruiserbear55]

   We're talking semantics here. RosieRoo is correct in saying the TA is good for thirty days. If Bermuda posts your sailing at exactly the thirty day mark, and you apply and receive it back the very same day, it would be good for thirty days. (If you  apply on the first of the month and sail on the thirtieth, that means the TA was good for thirty days).

   njhorseman is also correct saying it is NOT good for thirty days. As an example, if you were cruising on the fourteenth of the month, and applied for the TA on the seventh, the TA would be good for that cruise only. If you had another cruise booked seven days after the end of  your first cruise, the TA would now be invalid and you would have to apply for a new one.

[Turtles06]

9 minutes ago, cruiserbear55 said:

We're talking semantics here.

 

It's not semantics if the TA, regardless of the date it's issued, is only good for the specific cruise identified in your application.  Even if you somehow managed to take a second cruise to Bermuda within the 30-day period from the date the TA was issued, you'd still need to apply for another one for that specific cruise.    That's the critical point. 

 

There is NO reason to complicate all this.  The Bermuda TA rules are clear.  They are set out on Bermuda's web site as well as in NCL's Sail Safe policy.  Those are only things folks need to look at. 

 

[AK Dreaming]

The cruise I am testing for is before Aug 3rd, I am taking a PCR Test at CVS so am I correct in saying If I board on August 29th Monday I can take my PCR test Friday the 26th or Sat the 27th?  

[cruiseny4life]

Read this, do this, go cruise:

 

 

Source: https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation (Read that too).

[Mira28]

15 minutes ago, AK Dreaming said:

The cruise I am testing for is before Aug 3rd, I am taking a PCR Test at CVS so am I correct in saying If I board on August 29th Monday I can take my PCR test Friday the 26th or Sat the 27th?  

Yes, you are fine. Enjoy!